Online sharing and collaboration of documents is typically provided by a network-based file sharing computer system that allows multiple users to access and edit the files. Generally, documents are created and edited by a specific type of native application, such as a word processor or spreadsheet application. Many such applications provide support for co-editing a single document among many users.
When collaborating on a document, different users may work on the single document at different times throughout the day instead of working simultaneously. Because not all users are looking at the document at the same time, a user who needs feedback from a team member before being able to continue working on the document may leave a new comment on the document and then be forced to wait for feedback from the team member, which decreases workflow efficiency. In addition, many users prefer to edit documents from a desktop or a laptop with large screen and physical keyboard over a mobile device which has a limited display area and a virtual keyboard. As a result, the team member who needs to respond to the new comment may choose not to respond until the team member has access to a desktop or laptop, causing further delay.
Although it may be difficult to do substantial editing on a document from mobile devices, mobile devices can be a useful tool for responding to comments. Because mobile devices are portable and users check their mobile devices frequently, mobile devices can be used to respond quickly to comments made by other team members, allowing the other team members (who otherwise may be waiting for such feedback) to continue working. By providing a convenient interface for the mobile device that allows easy navigation between comment threads and editing comment threads from a notification interface, users can respond to comments more quickly, workflow productivity can increase, and the time to complete a collaborative project may decrease.